Tuberculoid leprosy

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial infection with Mycobacterium leprae. It attacks the nervous system, particularly the nerves of the hands, feet and face. It mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves and also the respiratory mucosa and the eyes. Sufferers feel no pain in these areas and are thus likely to injure themselves without realizing it. Leprosy has two frequent forms, tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. Tuberculoid leprosy produce sores on the skin, but the lepromatous type is most severe, producing large, disfiguring nodules. All forms of the disease finally reason peripheral neurological damage which causes sensory loss in the skin and muscle weakness.